Washington, Sep 14 (IANS): US President Donald Trump on Friday confirmed that Hamza bin Laden, the son of Osama bin Laden and a high-ranking Al Qaeda member, was killed in a US counter-terrorism operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

Though the news was reported a few weeks back, this is the first official acknowledgment of the information.

Hamza bin Laden was officially designated by the US as a global terrorist and was thought to be a potential future leader of Al Qaeda.

Announcing the development, the White House Press Secretary said that his killing "not only deprives the Al Qaeda of important leadership skills and the symbolic connection to his father, but also undermines important operational activities of the group. Hamza bin Laden was responsible for planning and dealing with various terrorist groups."

Earlier, news reports emerged indicating that Hamza bin Laden was dead. He had last made a public statement in 2018.

Hamza bin Laden was given a prominent role in Al Qaeda, which masterminded the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The US State Department earlier this year offered a $1 million reward for any information leading to his capture and labelled him as an "emerging" leader in Al Qaeda.

He was believed to have been in his early 30s.